Many parents may look to restart their careers as their children grow older, but how many are willing to sign up to a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery program with the view to working in psychiatry.

Growing up in rural NSW, Roslyn Smithers chose big city living and a career as a telecommunications engineer when she first left home. When she decided to start a family, the rat race of city living became less and less appealing.

“We got to a stage in our lives where I wanted to embrace my role as a mum and we wanted a treechange for ourselves and our children,” Roslyn explained.

“So, when my husband had the opportunity to transfer to a role in Canberra, we looked for a rural property. I stayed home to raise the kids, studied for a psychology degree and volunteered when I could.”

Whether it was volunteering at her children’s school, at her local church, or helping to answer phones at a breastfeeding helpline, Roslyn enjoyed helping others and being part of community.

“Through my volunteering, I became particularly interested in mental health. I encountered quite a lot of new mothers who had post-natal depression when I was working the breastfeeding helpline.”

“Couple breastfeeding challenges with other socio-economic issues such as isolation or financial hardship, which are often faced by new mothers, and it’s easy to understand how a person’s mental health can be adversely affected,” Roslyn added.

Knowing she had helped a lot of people through her volunteering, Roslyn wondered how much more she could do if she had formal qualifications and turned her passion for mental health into a career.

“It has all fallen into place for me – albeit later in life than for some of my colleagues – but now, I’m on the path towards psychiatry,” Roslyn smiled.

As a rural student, currently undertaking a year-long placement in Goulburn through the Rural Clinical School, Roslyn hopes to apply her professional qualification as a psychiatrist in a location that helps support her own rural community.

“I would love to continue to give back to rural communities, especially my own,” Roslyn said.